Day -5, Sunday, March 27: Dad got settled into his room in the BMT (blood and marrow transplant) unit on the third floor of the Moffitt Cancer Center. His room is just a few doors down from his prior room in early March. Dad met with Dr. Ochoa, inservice BMT doctor, and Karla Adams, inservice BMT physician assistant. Dr. Ochoa is a jokester, which means that Dad will enjoy his visits with Dr. Ochoa. Karla was extremely friendly, as usual, providing Mom and Dad with hugs.
Mid-afternoon, Dad viewed our church’s Easter service online. Afterwards, Dad received some fluids intravenously (saline).
Dad was slightly pleased with his Moffitt dinner and claimed that it was better than before. After Dad finished dinner, he and Mom walked a mile (11 laps in the BMT unit).
Around 9:00 p.m., Dad started receiving pre-meds for his fludarabine (1st of 4), the conditioning chemotherapy. The earlier plan was for Dad to take steroids as a pre-med for each conditioning chemotherapy. However, Dr. Ochoa gave Dad a milder anti-nausea and anti-vomiting pre-med instead. Dad got along fine with these changes. The purpose of the conditioning therapy before a stem cell transplant is to destroy the cancer cells in the body. The dosage received is much higher during conditioning therapy than in the course of normal treatment. Dad didn’t experience any negative side effects during the infusion.
As anticipated, Dad has already met some of his neighbors, Dan and Jamie. Both are younger. Mom and Dad guessed that they are in their 30s. Dan and Jamie are a few days ahead of Dad in the stem cell transplant process.
Day -4, Monday, March 28: This was Dad’s real birthday. He turned 76!
Dad had a good night’s rest. Mom tried out the pull out sofa in Dad’s room last night. She found it to be rather hard. Dad had breakfast and walked one mile in the morning. Dad then saw Dr. Ochoa, who was very pleased with Dad’s status and talking.
Dad saw Dr. Baluch, BMT infectious disease, in the afternoon. She changed one of Dad’s medications and cautioned him as he is very suspectible to infection. His CD4 count was 30. The normal count is 500. Dr. Baluch said that Dad has to be very careful and follow their instructions to minimize the risk of infection.
In the evening, Dad’s pre-meds got started around 9:30 p.m. His fludarabine (2nd of 4) started flowing about 10:00 p.m. He didn’t experience any negative side effects.
Day -3, Tuesday, March 29: Dad had breakfast and then walked a mile. He saw Dr. Ochoa, inservice BMT. Dad’s Moffitt provided lunch was chef salad, pasta with chicken, and carrot cake. Dad spent some time on his laptop. Later in the day, Dad walked two more times at half a mile each. His goal is to walk two miles everyday.
Husband picked Mom up from Moffitt after Dad’s evening shower so that she could do some laundry and get a solid night’s rest at home.
Since we came home from spring break, I haven’t been able to visit Dad, in person, due to my being ill. Each day, Mom and Dad ask if I am feeling better. They are eager to have me visit in person rather than via FaceTime.
Dad received his fludarabine (3rd of 4) later in the evening with no negative effects.
Day -2, Wednesday, March 30: Dad woke up feeling fine. Husband picked up Mom at 9:00 a.m. and took her to the Moffitt Cancer Center. Sweet Daughter had offered to lend Dad her Bose wireless speaker so that Dad could listen to music on his iPhone. Husband visited with Dad and setup the speaker with Dad’s iPhone.
Dr. Ayala, Dad’s BMT doctor, stopped in to visit Dad. This made Mom and Dad very happy.
Mom went to the optional caregivers gathering, which occurs each Wednesday. Mom found it to be interesting and very informative. She learned that each BMT patient, currently in the BMT unit, has a different form of cancer.
This was the last day of Dad’s conditioning 
chemotherapies…the double-doozie of fludarabine (4th of 4) and melphalan. Melphalan is the chemotherapy that is likely to give Dad mouth sores, oral mucositis. These usually appear 5 – 10 days after the melphalan is received. Mucositis can then last 7 – 14 days. To minimize Dad’s risk of getting mucositis, Dad used oral cryotherapy. The idea behind the oral cryotherapy is to make the mouth cold enough that the blood vessels in the mouth constrict and reduce the amount of Mephalan in the mouth. Dad packed ice pellets into every nook and cranny of his mouth and contained them in his mouth for 75 minutes. He went through four cupfuls of ice. Dad found it to be quite the challenge. Mom claimed that Dad was screaming while his mouth was full of ice.
Day -1, Thursday, March 31: Dad started his “off day” with a large breakfast of french toast, sausage and donuts. It was an off day in that Dad had a day of rest. No more conditioning chemotherapies. Dad was feeling good and enjoying a new album I gave him for his birthday, Gone Like the Cotton from the Cox Family, which was produced by Alison Krausse. Dad’s favorite song on the album is “Cash on the Barrelhead.”
Dad walked his two miles in three phases. Later in the evening, after Dad’s bedtime shower, Husband picked up Mom so that she could get quality sleep in her own bed.
While sitting in his lounger that night, Dad experienced some tremors in both hands and arms.
Recent Comments